


snow day

by choir



Category: Ookiku Furikabutte | Big Windup!
Genre: First Dates, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-08
Updated: 2013-11-08
Packaged: 2017-12-31 20:28:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1036047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/choir/pseuds/choir
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Oki confesses after the field is cleared.</p>
            </blockquote>





	snow day

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written August 22nd, for tumblr user small-son.

Oki confesses after the field is cleared; Nishihiro waits because they walk home together, every day, shoulders almost touching and hands an exact length apart every time.

(Too close to say nothing is there, far enough away to cover whatever might be.)

Oki doesn’t particularly plan for the tumble of words that spills out of his mouth ( _I really like you, I think you’re really amazing, I-I’m sorry_ ), only that it’s hard for him to not speak his mind after so long. The embarrassing heart flutters and stomach flops had been going on for months, Nishihiro looking just as casual as before, and Oki rationalizes that he had to snap eventually.

What he doesn’t expect is Nishihiro’s reaction: the flush that begins at the bottom of his throat, the way his eyes flicker away. In the dark, Oki can just barely make the outline of Nishihiro’s small, uncontrolled smile, and his throat goes dry.

Nishihiro looks at him in the eye, though, when he says he feels the same. And it’s nice, Oki thinks, to know that Nishihiro isn’t shying away from it all.

The difference in distance shows, even that night: before Oki separates from Nishihiro, they both turn to look at each other at the same time, causing a fit of nervous laughter that ends when Nishihiro places a hand on Oki’s head.

 _Good night_ , _Oki_ , he says.

 _Good night_ , Oki responds, biting his lip to keep from smiling any bigger.

  
  
  


There are a few other differences, too: like how Nishihiro will meet Oki twenty minutes before practice to spend time with him, talking idly about school and baseball and manga. The conversations are meaningful and mundane at the same time, but Oki never cares.

Sometimes casual brushes (against their shoulders, back, arms, sides) last longer than necessary, and a few times during practice Oki will press his hand against Nishihiro’s, faux handholding, only to withdraw a few moments later from embarrassment. A few other times Nishihiro will sling his arm over Oki’s shoulders and keep it there, leaning over for too long to whisper how he should come over for dinner sometime.

Working up the guts to hug takes a week or so, and only comes when Nishihiro grabs Oki’s arm before he leaves and pulls him close, warm and a little awkward; Nishihiro grips Oki’s shoulders too hard and laughs into the crook of his neck, causing Oki to jump and stutter how he _really needs to leave, parents, homework, something_ \--

(Needless to say, Oki’s throat feels as though it’s on fire for the rest of the night, his head reminding him every five minutes that Nishihiro’s mouth was centimeters away from his skin.)

Nothing lasts much longer than ten seconds.

  
  
  


On the first snow day of the year, Nishihiro walks over to Oki’s house.

They planned a date, or sort of: a small lunch and a movie, perhaps staying over at Nishihiro’s and wasting night hours reading through baseball magazines and fidgeting uncomfortably under separate mattresses.

Nishihiro buys Oki a scarf, a deep sea blue, at a gift shop by the main plaza. He wraps it around Oki’s neck, face relaxing into a smile, saying that he’s glad it really suits him, after all. Oki is left speechless, hands coming up to rest on the scarf and bury his face in it. Nishihiro laughs, quiet and sweet, and points to another bookstore he wants to look at.

Oki will never not be impressed by Nishihiro’s astrological knowledge, he is sure; they spend a few hours in the bookstore looking at picture books on constellations and the physics of stars. He doesn’t understand a lot of it, but watching Nishihiro’s face light up at every different planet and star is enough.

Though, he wonders if he should feel bad he’s more focused on how Nishihiro’s smile grows at every new fact than the actual content of the book, but the way Nishihiro looks back at Oki with wide eyes makes his stomach flop over, and in the end, he doesn’t feel too bad about it.

  
  
  


They miss the original movie time by an hour due to distractions. Nishihiro apologizes profusely, but Oki waves him off with an embarrassed grin, saying that it was more interesting to see how excited he got over stars. Nishihiro just lets out a sheepish laugh.

Before the next movie showing, however, the snow begins to come down harder, and they steadily make their way back to Nishihiro’s house, a bit giddy and a bit cold.

“N-Nishihiro,” Oki says, scooting a bit closer so that their shoulders touch.

“Yeah?” he responds, hand lifting to pull Oki’s scarf up higher to cover more of his neck.

“Your hand,” he says, just as soft, and Nishihiro gets the hint.

Taking off the glove on his left hand, he twines their fingers together, squeezing tight. “Good?” he asks.

“Yeah,” Oki pauses, glancing over at Nishihiro to find him staring back, and he can’t help but smile. “Just fine.”

  
  
  


“It got pretty cold,” Nishihiro shivers, standing over the kettle by the kitchen.

“I didn’t really expect it,” Oki says, face pouting slightly. “No movie, I guess.”

Pouring warm water into their cups, Nishihiro quietly says, “Next time I’ll take you to two to make up for it.”

Oki doesn’t reply a first, finding his playing with his hands suddenly much more fascinating. “Is your kotatsu fixed?”

“Just yesterday.” Nishihiro hands Oki a mug. “Let’s go sit?”

  
  
  


Their shoulders touch again, and Oki swears his brain must be fogging over from the heat. Nishihiro leans closer, voice sleepy and low, and his breath; it hits Oki’s collarbone, rushing heat down his spine. It pools in his lower back, and he twitches, letting Nishihiro’s lips graze across his throat.

Somewhere between his frantic thoughts about fire and Nishihiro, he began leaning over, pressing into a light kiss, heart pounding in his ears. It’s hesitant and unsure, and Nishihiro only responds after a few seconds, losing his balance at first and landing a kiss on Oki’s chin instead.

On normal circumstances he would laugh, but they’re both flushed from artificial and created heat, arms wrapped around each others necks almost too lightly, as though the situation still warranted being polite. Oki still doesn’t know what to do, but Nishihiro lightly bites his bottom lip before pressing against his mouth a bit more forcefully, and suddenly he can’t think anymore.

They both become more bold than before, after that. Oki clutches the back of Nishihiro’s shirt like a lifeline, keeping them both in place with their chests molded together. In a moment of desperation to get even closer, Nishihiro accidentally pushes against him too hard, resulting in them both tumbling over from sitting positions, Oki hitting his head on the tatami mats and Nishihiro landing more softly on Oki’s chest.

Oki brings a hand up to the back of his head, wincing slightly.

“Sorry,” Nishihiro all but whispers, sitting up and looking down at his lap sheepishly.

Oki notices a similar pattern; the red cheeks reaching all the way around to his ears, the slight insecurity in embarrassment. It’s familiar, and he curls his legs closer to his head.

“H-Hey, Oki, you’re okay, right --”

“Happy,” Oki mutters, wondering if even the tips of ears can blush, too.

“Me too, you know,” he says, moving Oki’s hand out of the way to look at his face. “I am too.”

His heart takes off, and he stares up at Nishihiro in awe.

  


**  
**

Perhaps the biggest change: they sleep on the same futon that night, Oki curled quietly against Nishihiro’s chest, and the first snowfall of the year ends almost as quietly as it started.


End file.
